There is no time of the year filled with more light and hope for the Jewish people worldwide than Hanukkah.
This year, its message feels more intimate than ever.
On September 30th, our families celebrated the same blessing: the birth of our granddaughter, Judith — daughter of Tania Metta and Victor Achar. Her arrival was more than a moment of joy; it was a living reminder of what Jewish continuity truly means.
A child embodies hope, connection, responsibility, and the enduring promise that the Jewish story not only continues, it renews itself.
When Ben Gurion was once asked who, in his view, was a Jew, he explored this question across the Jewish world and ultimately concluded that to be a Jew is to pass the torch of Jewish identity to the third generation, to have grandchildren who know and love their heritage in its ethical ideals (truth, justice, integrity) and in its national-civic dimension. This year, holding our newborn granddaughter made that idea profoundly tangible.
To be a Jew is to pass the torch of Jewish identity to the third generation.
Never more than in these recent years has this taken on such transcendence. Our identity, history, and rights have been challenged in every conceivable way. If there were times when being a “semi-Jew” was enough, these are not those times.
These are no ordinary times, and they demand deep knowledge, conscious identity, and an embrace of Judaism in all its facets.
If understanding our heritage, the why of Israel, or the meaning behind our holidays was once a pleasant luxury, today it is a must.
This is also the spirit of Voice of the People. At its core lies the belief that the future of Am Israel depends on strengthening the bonds that unite us across continents, communities, and perspectives.
VoP represents an unprecedented opportunity for Jews from Israel and the Diaspora to come together, to speak, listen, reflect, and build.
Its aspiration is to create a global infrastructure of dialogue, unity, belonging, and shared purpose, so that every Jewish child, every future Judith, inherits a people capable of understanding one another and dreaming together.
As we light the candles this Hanukkah, we do so with gratitude for the miracles of the past and faith in the resilience of our people.
May the light of these flames help us see the depth of our Jewish legacy and strengthen our commitment to our faith, our identity, and our future.
And may this light shine brightly for all our children and grandchildren, today and always.
Chag Urim Sameach
Publish date: December 7th 2025
By: Judith Achar & Marcos Metta Cohen
